1 Agrippa R1518 said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to make his defense:

2 "In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today; 3 especially F574 because you are an expert in all customs R1519 and questions F575 among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4 "So then, all Jews know my R1520 manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem; 5 since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee R1521 according R1522 to the strictest sect R1523 of our religion. 6 "And now I am standing F576 trial for R1524 the hope of the R1525 promise made by God to our fathers; 7the promise to R1526 which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, R1527 O King, I am being accused R1528 by Jews. 8 "Why is it considered incredible among you people if R1529 God does raise the dead?

9 "So then, I R1530 thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the R1531 name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 "And this is just F577 what I did R1532 in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints F578 in prisons, having received R1533 authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast R1534 my vote against them. 11 "And as R1535 I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously R1536 enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even R1537 to foreign F579 cities.

12 "While F580 so engaged as R1538 I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, 13 at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter F581 than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. 14 "And when we had all R1539 fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew R1540F582 dialect, `Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It F583 is hard for you to kick against the goads.'15 "And I said, `Who are You, Lord?' And the Lord said, `I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.16`But get up and stand R1541 on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint R1542 you a minister R1543 and a R1544 witness not only to the things which you have seen, F584 but also to the things in which I will appear to you;17rescuing R1545 you from R1546 the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,18to open R1547 their eyes so that they may turn from darkness R1548 to light and from the dominion of Satan R1549 to God, that they may receive forgiveness R1550 of sins and an inheritance R1551 among those who have been sanctified by faith R1552 in Me.'

19 "So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but kept declaring both to R1553 those of Damascus first, and also at R1554 Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to R1555 the Gentiles, that they should repent R1556 and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate R1557 to repentance. 21 "For this reason some Jews seized R1558 me in the temple and tried to R1559 put me to death. 22 "So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying R1560 both to small and great, stating nothing but what the R1561 Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; 23 that R1562F585 the F586 Christ was to F587 suffer, and that F585 by R1563 reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light R1564 both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."

24 While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind! YourF588 great learning R1565 is driving F589 you mad." 25 But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most R1566 excellent Festus, but I utter words of F590 sober truth. 26 "For the king knows R1567F591 about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner. F59227 "King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do." F59328 Agrippa replied to Paul, "In F594 a short time you will F595 persuade me to become F596 a Christian." R156829 And Paul said, "I F597 would wish to God, that whether in F598 a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains." R1569

30 The R1570 king stood up and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them, 31 and when they had gone aside, they began talking to one another, saying, "This R1571 man is not doing anything worthy of death or imprisonment." F59932 And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man might have been set R1572 free if he had not appealed R1573 to Caesar."